3 Amazing Hikes You Need to Do in the Japanese Alps

3 Amazing Hikes You Need to Do in the Japanese Alps

Summer in Japan can be pretty brutal. From the 
smoldering temperatures to high humidity that makes you want to shower multiple times a day, 
it’s safe to say that it’s my least favorite season. But I will say it’s the start of hiking 
season, and the mountains offer an escape from the high humidity and heat. And Japan has some 
pretty beautiful hikes. I’ve been lucky enough to cross off quite a handful off my list all over 
the country in the past 10 months of doing van life here in Japan, but in this video, I’m going 
to be focusing on three intermediate hikes here in the Japanese Alps region, which is centrally 
located, so it’s conveniently easily accessible from Tokyo. First off, always bring bear spray and 
a bear bell. Honshu, or the main island of Japan, is home to Asian black bears, and attacks have 
been on the rise in the past few years, with even several resulting in fatalities. Typically, if you 
make lots of noise and you’re on a popular trail, you’ll never encounter any. I’ve never seen any, 
but it’s better to be safe than sorry. For finding trails, checking stats, conditions, and reviews. 
I’ve been using All Trails ever since I started hiking, but I’ve recently started using Alltrails 
Premium because it allows you to download maps and use them even when you’re offline, which is 
really useful because service has cut out on me before on hikes, and if you ever get off track, 
it can be quite scary. All Trails Peak also just came out recently, which allows you to do 
custom route building, check the trail forecast, and check community heat maps, which is 
pretty cool to see what areas are popular, which for me is an indication that I should avoid 
those areas. If you want to use All Trails Peak or Premium, check my link in the description, 
it’ll get you 30% off. Without further ado, let’s get into the three hikes I have for you 
today. They’ll be in my typical vlog style, so I can include any tidbits of information I 
think might be useful. I’ll go from the easiest to the most difficult starting with the iconic Mount 
Akadake. Akadake is the highest mountain in the volcanic range of Yatsugatake, or the eight peaks. 
Though technically not in the Alps, it’s right adjacent and often overlooked for the more popular 
Alps hikes, so I included it. It’s also only a couple hours from Tokyo by either call or train, 
which makes it easier to access than hikes in the actual Alps. I’m hiking today with my friend Ryan, 
who you may recognize if you’ve seen my Izu video. We started from the Minotoguchi trailhead 
on the west side of the mountain. [Music] In Japanese mythology, Yatsugatake is said 
to have been one huge volcano long ago, higher than even Mount Fuji. But the 
goddess of Fuji tore it down in jealousy, creating the eight peaks you see today. And there 
actually is geological evidence that may suggest it did used to be one larger volcano before 
erupting and creating many smaller peaks. [Music] A couple hours later, we reached Gyojagoya Hut at the base of Akadake and stopped to snack. 
Then began the real ascent to the peak. [Music] [Music] Reaching the Jizo Ridge, you get a view up to 
Akadake Tenboso Hut and the summit behind it. Clouds were rolling in from the 
south, which was worrying me, but we had to stop for some lunch 
quick. You already know what it is. Onigiri! Mandatory onigiri on a hike. Ryan 
squared, onigiri squared. Ryan squared. [Music] As expected, we got clouded over as we 
reached the top. So, we didn’t wait long before starting to head down. 2,899 m. 
The 29th highest peak in Japan. Only 300 m lower than second highest peak, Kitadake. 
So, not much of a difference. Pretty cool. Luckily, it did begin to clear enough 
for us to take a few good shots on our way down with Amidadake in the background. [Music] Views have cleared up a little bit on 
the way down. I’m a much happier camper. We logged approximately 13 km in distance 
and 1,200 m in elevation gain. Just a note that I have these hikes as well as any other hike 
I’ve done in Japan pinned in my Ultimate Vanlife Japan map which is available for $6.50. If you 
don’t care about the van life portion of that, well, I have my Japan adventure map which is 
available for $4.50, which includes hikes, my favorite photo spots, swimming holes, 
and I threw in cherry blossoms in there as well. If you want all my Japan off the bean 
path locations, that’s really your one-stop shop for that. They’re both available on 
my Patreon. Link is in the description. The next hike I have for you on the list located 
in the southern Alps is none other than Kitadake, which you may recognize as the second highest 
mountain in Japan after Mount Fuji. And it has some sweet views of Fuji from the top. 
So, I’m actually camping there to hopefully get sunset and sunrise views the next day. 
Getting there is a bit of a hassle as you can’t drive to the trail head. And it’s quite 
a ways from anything. If you’re going by car, you have to park at Narada Onsen and take a 
bus to Hirokawara information center where the trail head is. If you don’t have 
a car and you’re coming from Tokyo, don’t worry. You can take the train to Kofu 
Station and take a 2-hour bus to Hirokawara from there. I myself stayed overnight at the Narada 
parking lot and took the 8:40 a.m. bus from there, which took around 30 minutes to the information 
center, and I got started. And that’s where we’re headed. It’s not far distance-wise, 
but it’s quite the elevation gain. It almost immediately gets real steep. 
Although only 6 km or so to the summit, you have to climb around 1,600 m of elevation in that relatively short distance. So 
you don’t ever get much of a break. I’m only like an hour in, but I’m 
already so hungry cuz I barely had anything to eat for breakfast cuz I was rushing to get ready for the bus. Snack time. 
A calorie mate and uh some peanuts. Almost exactly halfway through, you 
reach Shiraoike Hut. At this point, it had been 2 hours, so I was trying to get to the 
summit in another two, but you could no doubt do this faster if you’re not carrying camera gear, 
stopping for walking shots, or carrying enough food to feed a small village. That being said, 
do make sure to stop and smell the roses. Well, not actual roses, but whatever these flowers 
are, because I was told by a local hiker that Kitadake is also known as Flower Mountain 
for the abundant wild flowers that bloom in summer. You’ll see lots of ojisans and obasans 
collecting photos of the numerous varieties. Things get better once you get to the ridge 
with sweeping views of the southern Alps and soon after you reach Kitadake Kata hut 
or Kitadake “Shoulder” Hut. But this is not where I booked my tent site since the Fuji 
views weren’t quite as nice from here. [Music] So, I continued climbing up to the peak, 
arriving after 4 hours as expected. I didn’t stop long at the peak as I wanted to get myself a good tent spot and the 
Kitadake hut was now in sight. [Music] [Music] Finally, it’s time to chow down. I’m so hungry. 
Uh, and what a place to do it. Got Kitadake right behind me. I’m looking out at Fujisan. Unreal. 
And look at what I picked up for lunch. This is just absolutely absurd, but I just had 
to when I saw it. This is an onigiri. Look, like my hands are big, so maybe it kind of makes 
it look small, but like compared to my face, this thing’s like a kilo at least. It’s literally 
called bakudan onigiri, which means like bomb onigiri. Oh, no. It’s called mega bakudan onigiri. 
Mega bomb onigiri. How hilarious is this? Oh, and by the way, it’s uh 507 yen. Around 
five bucks. Not bad. Cannot believe this. As expected, the first bite 
was all rice. Look at this. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] I was thinking of hitting for sunset, but uh it’s not looking like so good of a 
plan anymore. [Music] Oh my god. Let’s go. This wind is crazy. I’m so scared my tent is just going to blow 
away. like it’s just flapping in the wind over there. All right. Well, I’m genuinely 
worried about my tent. I should head back and then sunset’s pretty much over. So, I’m just 
going to wait for uh the stars to come out. Because of the insane winds, I didn’t have any 
motivation to get night shots. My sleeping pad also got a hole in it, so I was sleeping on 
rocks. Then my tent cover ended up blowing off in the middle of the night, never 
to be seen again, and it began raining. Me and my gear got absolutely soaked. So, I was 
already packed up and heading down by 5:00 a.m. And when I got down after the 3-hour descent, 
the next bus from the tourist information center wasn’t for another 6 hours. So, I walked an 
extra 22 km back to Narada Onsen. If you can, try to plan your descent with the return buses 
as they’re really infrequent. Not including the additional 22 km. This was a 14.8 km 
round trip and 1680 m in elevation gain. [Applause] [Music] The final hike I have for you today is Komagatake 
in the Kiso Mountains, which takes the title of tallest mountain in the central Alps. It’s really 
popular because it has a ropeway on the east side that takes you straight up to the alpine, 
allowing riders to skip 1,000 m in elevation. Well, I’m not made of money, nor am I afraid 
of a hike. So, I took the western approach from Kisokoma Reisui park, which is also a free 
campsite, so, I stayed there both the night before and after the hike. Even on a weekend, I 
only came across five other people on my way up. [Music] [Music] [Music] It took a couple hours to reach the 
tree line and soon after you reach Nishikoma Hut where you’ll start to 
encounter more people since they take the ropeway up and hike to the various 
huts spread around the Kiso Mountains. [Music] Look at the size of this one. Holy [Music] After lunch break, I continued on towards where 
all the ropeway people emerge from by Senjojiki Cirque. It’s quite crowded, so I kind of zoomed 
through the area, but you could also quickly add Inamaedake and Hokendake to your route if you so 
felt inclined. I continued on to Nakadake, then stopping by Chojo Hut and asked if I could fill 
up my water, which I was able to for just 100 yen. [Music] By the time I finally reached 
Komagatake, the main attraction, it was unfortunately clouded over. So, 
I began the long descent back down. [Music] It was a 21 km and 1900 m elevation gain day. So 
it was long but with a good variety of views. So there you have it. Those are just three hikes 
I’ve done here in the Japanese Alps in the last month. But more often than not, I include a 
hike in my vlogs when I’m exploring other parts of the country as well. So, if Japan off the 
beaten path interests you, then feel free to check out my other videos and keep an eye out 
because fall is rapidly approaching and there will be lots coming there as well. So, with 
that, I’ll catch you in the next adventure. [Music]

Join me on 3 amazing hikes you need to do in the Japanese Alps—Akadake, Kitadake, and Komagatake. In this video, I share one short vlog from each adventure, showing what it’s like to take on these incredible trails in the heart of Japan’s mountains. If you’re planning a hiking trip in Japan, this video will give you a glimpse of the views, the challenges, and the beauty that make these peaks unforgettable.

🥾 Get 30% off Alltrails Peak or Premium! https://alltrails.pxf.io/c/5847280/2026814/22353?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alltrails.com%2Fplans%3Fk%3Dryanbednar30

🫶 Subscribe to my Patreon to support my journey! My Ultimate Van Life Japan Map is also available for sale here.
https://www.patreon.com/RyanBednar

📷 My Gear:
Video: Sony ZVE1 https://amzn.to/432R9TM
Photo: Sony A7iii https://amzn.to/4fTPeXu
Tamron 28-75mm https://amzn.to/4jK4Rlw
Sigma 100-400mm https://amzn.to/4m6T6Hq
Davinci Resolve: https://amzn.to/4k8RjQl

🎶 Music library:
Take your films to the next level with music and sounds from Musicbed. Sign up for your free account to listen for yourself:
https://fm.pxf.io/c/5847280/1347628/16252

🎬Chapters:
0:00-1:44 Intro
1:45-4:48 Akadake
4:49-5:19 Japan Map
5:20-12:46 Kitadake
12:47-16:39 Komagatake
16:40-17:13 Outro

▶️ Related keywords:
#japanhikes
#hikinginjapan
#japanvlog
#lifeinjapan
#livinginjapan
#cinematicvlog
#japantravelvlog
#travelvlog

⚡️ Connect with me:
📸 https://www.instagram.com/ryan_bednar
📧 ryan.bednar97@gmail.com
🌐 Portfolio: https://tome.app/ryan-bednar-media-43b/ryan-bednar-portfolio-cm8n1w53l09vqpi6at3i72ks8

⚠️ Disclaimer: The content shared on this channel, Ryan Bednar, is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. The creator, Ryan Bednar, documents personal experiences, thoughts, and travel adventures through Japan while living a minimalistic van life.
The creator and channel assume no responsibility for any accidents, injuries, damages, or losses that may occur from attempting to replicate or follow any content presented here. Viewer caution and judgment are advised.

✖️ Copyright notice: This video and this YouTube channel contain dialog and images that are property of “Ryan Bednar” You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to this YouTube Channel is provided.
© ryan_bednar

Ryan Bednar